The International Theological Symposium, titled “The Christian Family – Light and Witness in Contemporary Society”, opened on Tuesday in the Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna at the Palace of the Patriarchate in Bucharest.
Among those attending were His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel; Fr Wilhelm Dancă, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy and representative of its President, Marius Andruh; Romeo Moșoiu, adviser at the Ministry of Education and representative of Acting Education Minister Mihai Dimian; Ciprian Vasile Olinici, State Secretary for Religious Affairs; and Marian Preda, Rector of the University of Bucharest.
The symposium took place from 5 to 8 October.
The family in the Church and society
Patriarch Daniel emphasised that the family is an “icon of God’s love for humanity” and an “earthly environment of preparation for holiness”.
“It becomes the place where Christian virtues are learned and practised: fervent prayer, humble and merciful love, patience, forgiveness and assistance to those in need,” His Beatitude said.
The Patriarch of Romania also highlighted the challenges facing families in contemporary society.
“Today, we are witnessing a spiritual crisis affecting the institution of the family, reflected in rising divorce rates, weakening ties between generations and the diminishing role of the family in children’s religious education. Many families face economic, social and spiritual difficulties that can affect their cohesion and stability.”
In response, Patriarch Daniel explained that “the Church is called to make strengthening the Christian family a pastoral priority, to develop counselling and support programmes for families experiencing difficulties, to provide appropriate religious education for children and to promote Christian values”.
Education and Christian values
Fr Wilhelm Dancă stressed that education and Christian values are two fundamental foundations of family life. Without them, he warned, families would struggle to respond to contemporary cultural challenges and could become overwhelmed by complex circumstances, leading to further divorces.
“Parents should be more concerned about where their children’s minds, souls and hearts are, and should open paths for their responsible development towards goodness, truth and beauty.”
Romeo Moșoiu described the family as the environment “in which a child learns, before any formal lesson, what love, patience, responsibility and respect for others mean”.
“Education cannot fulfil its mission without the family, just as the family cannot do without the support of the school and the Church. Partnership between the Church, school and family is essential for raising balanced, courageous young people who are committed to the common good.”
“Christian values, lived out in the everyday life of the home, have shaped character, communities and, ultimately, our very cultural identity over the centuries,” the Ministry of Education adviser added.
The family at the heart of society
Ciprian Vasile Olinici explained the family’s role in society, saying that it gives each person three things they cannot provide for themselves: “An origin to receive, a ‘we’ in which to grow, and a future for which to take responsibility.”
“Supporting the family means providing spiritual, material, cultural and community resources through which responsibility can genuinely be exercised. What is at stake is society’s ability to sustain the relationships from which it derives its own continuity.”
Marian Preda highlighted the shared responsibility of institutions in supporting family life.
“This is a mission for everyone and, in my opinion, the role of the Church, as well as schools and universities, in creating a social environment in which parents decide to have more children is essential.”
International participation
The symposium’s programme continued until Thursday, with sessions held at both the Palace of the Patriarchate and the Patriarch Justinian Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Bucharest.
Participants included guests from Romania and abroad.
The event was organised by the Theological-Educational Sector and the Sector for Christian and Interreligious Relations and External Romanian Communities of the Patriarchal Administration, in partnership with the Faculty of Orthodox Theology.
The symposium’s theme was chosen in connection with the Romanian Orthodox Church’s 2026 Solemn Year dedicated to the pastoral care of the Christian family.
